1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electric connectors for connecting cords constituting electric circuits and particularly relates to an electric connector and an electric connector housing which has a structure for multistageously locking terminals mounted on one-end portions of cords from coming off.
2. Background
As electric connectors (hereinafter simply referred to as "connectors") used for connecting cords constituting electric circuits, there is such a known electric connector as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The connector 30 is a male connector which is fitted into a female connector not shown in the drawings so that cords fitted into the two male and female connectors respectively are electrically connected to each other through the two connectors.
Terminals 35 mounted on one-end portions of cords 34 respectively are primarily locked by flexible lances 33 formed in terminal reception chambers 32 of a housing 31 of the connector 30. That is, when the terminals 35 is to be inserted into the terminal reception chambers, the lances 33 are bent to permit insertion of the terminals 35. Further, hook portions 33a of the lances 33 are fitted into engagement concave portions 36 of the terminals 35 so that the terminals 35 are locked so as to be prevented from coming off.
In addition to the primary locking by the lances 33, the terminals 35 are secondarily locked by a retainer 37 which is provided as a separate member so as to be fitted into the housing 31. That is, the retainer 37 has a comb-liken upper surface and the housing 31 also has a comb-like upper surface so that the retainer 37 is fitted into fitting grooves 38 which are formed from the upper surface of the housing 31 to the terminal reception chambers 32 so that the fitting grooves 38 communicate with the terminal reception chambers 32. When the retainer 37 is fitted into the fitting grooves 38, secondary locking portions 39 formed on, the lower surface of the retainer 37 so as to project are inserted into secondary locking portion reception grooves 38a of the fitting grooves 38 which are formed in the side of a pair of upper and lower terminal reception chambers 32. On the other hand, each of the secondary locking portions 39 has a pair of upper-and lower locking pieces 40 which project so as to be inserted into a stabilizer 41 having two pieces 41a and 41b formed on opposite edge portions of the upper surface of a corresponding terminal 35, in each of the terminal reception chambers in the upper and lower stages. Accordingly, the pieces 41a and 41b of the stabilizer 41 are engaged with the locking pieces 40 so that the stabilizer 41 is locked to thereby prevent the terminal 35 from coming off. By the aforementioned primary and secondary locking means, the terminals 35 can be securely prevented from dropping out of the connector 30.
In the case where the cords 34 are to be wired in a narrow place, it may be however required that the size of the connector 30 is reduced to be as small as possible to thereby save space.
To reduce the size of the connector 30 to satisfy the aforementioned requirement, a measure shown in FIG. 7 is conventionally taken. That is, the structure of the secondary locking portions 39a located in opposite end portions of the retainer 37 is removed from the conventional connector shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 to thereby narrow the width of the retainer 37 as shown as a retainer 43 in FIG. 7. With the reduction of the width of the retainer, space for receiving the structure of the secondary locking portions 39a becomes unnecessary with respect to the terminal reception chambers 45a located in opposite side portions of the housing 44. Accordingly, compared with the connector shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the side wall of the housing 44 can be reduced by the thickness of the secondary locking portions 39a. With the reduction of the side wall of the housing 44, the whole width of the connector 42 is reduced as a measure to reduce the size.
The retainer 43 of the small-sized connector shown in FIG. 7 is however configured so that the secondary locking portions 39a located in opposite end portions of the retainer 37 of FIG. 5 are removed from the retainer 37. That is, in the terminal 35 inserted into each of upper and lower terminal reception chambers 45a located in the opposite sides of the connector 42, only one stabilizer piece 41a located in the inner side is locked by a corresponding locking piece 40 in the direction against escaping but the other stabilizer piece 41b on the outer side is not locked. Accordingly, the secondary locking force given to the terminals 35 inserted into these terminal reception chambers 45a are weakened, so that a problem arises in that the strength for preventing the terminals from coming off is reduced compared with the terminals 35 inserted into the other terminal reception chambers 45.